Mor Ryde pin box vs. Goose Box pin box

[Wyoming Grit]

We are full timers in a Montana 3791RD, which we love. We pull it with a F450. I am happy with the Mor Ryde pin box but it is a hassle taking the B&W Companion out and putting it back in. Has anyone installed a Reese Goose Box pin box in place of a Mor Ryde pin box?

[Rondo]

Cliff, since you have a newer model Montana, I would suggest contacting Keystone Customer Service and see what they say about putting in a Goose Box pin box. You may find out they would void your frame warranty if you do. The framing and support on a Montana and the framing and support on a gooseneck trailer are different. The gooseneck units have a much heavier frame and support construction up front. There are those that run the gooseneck but I would check with Keystone and even Lippert, who builds the frame for the Montana, first before switching out pin boxes. I will probably catch a lot of flack for stating this because there are those that are running goosenecks on their Montes but just to be on the safe side check with Keystone and Lippert before doing such. Reese can state it is fine but be safe rather than sorry.

[CarWin]

As Rondo stated......Call Keystone and Lippert both to make on INFORMED decision !! Some folks have no cares as to what the warranties might be, while others strive to comply with recommendations ,so not to adversely affect their warranty.

[Wyoming Grit]

Thanks for the reply Rondo. I thought the same way until I heard about the Reese Goose Box pin box. Lippert approves of the goose box pin box on 5th wheels and will still honor the warranty. Like I said earlier, I like the Mor Ryde but I don't like removing and installing the B&W Companion. If the goose box produce a good smooth ride like the Mor Ryde, I will change out the pin boxes.

[mhs4771]

The Reese Goose Box is the only Goose Neck type of hitch that is endorsed by Lippert. Since it replaces the complete King Pin assembly it doesn't put the extra strain on the frame that a standard Goose Neck Adapter does.

[speedster100]

Just leave the hitch hooked to the 5er when you park the trailer. unlock the puck's and raise the front end of the trailer till they are free and drive the truck forward. No issues at all and no work involved. Just reverse sequence when you want to go somewhere......

[masterdrago]

Originally Posted by speedster100

Just leave the hitch hooked to the 5er when you park the trailer. unlock the puck's and raise the front end of the trailer till they are free and drive the truck forward. No issues at all and no work involved. Just reverse sequence when you want to go somewhere......

Speedster, I had thought to do the same thing after seeing some here suggesting it. When thinking about how difficult it might be to precisely align those four pins into the Ram, I decided not to attempt it. I was also concerned about the 200# hanging on the pin box, although I'm not sure that would really be an issue.

[jcurryii]

I remove mine by myself, it in no way weighs 200#, probably close to 50#.
Do like speedsters suggestion.

[Renegade1LI]

Originally Posted by speedster100

Just leave the hitch hooked to the 5er when you park the trailer. unlock the puck's and raise the front end of the trailer till they are free and drive the truck forward. No issues at all and no work involved. Just reverse sequence when you want to go somewhere......

Thats a great idea, definitely trying this next time, Im sure theres no issue with it hanging there .

[beeje]

My first ? would be, if you are full timers, why do you need to remove the hitch at all ?
If you are trying to get it out of the weather, get a bed cover of some sort.

Secondly, the goose box solidly connects the camper to the truck with no cushioning affect. You may not like the ride after doing so.

[masterdrago]

Originally Posted by Renegade1LI

Thats a great idea, definitely trying this next time, Im sure theres no issue with it hanging there .

I asked B&W, Keystone and Lippert this question....


We bought our RV in Oct 2017 and are using a B&W Companion in a Ram truck.

I'm wanting to know if there would be any harmful side effects of
leaving our B&W Companion RVK3600 hitch attached to the pin box of our
2018.5 Keystone Montana 3791RD and using the front levelers to lift it
from the bed. I would then leave it attached and hanging on the pin of
the RV. I'm just wanting to check to make sure no damage will be
transferred to the frame, pin box or hitch by lifting it by connections.


The answer from B&W:
Thank you for your inquiry. Yes you can do this it will not effect the hitch at all. If you have any other questions please let me know.

Thank you,
Casy Weast



And from Keystone:
Thank you for contacting Keystone RV regarding your 2018 Montana. Unfortunately, Keystone cannot assist with recommendations or suggestions that you are pursuing. The Keystone RV Owner’s Manual disclaimer states, “Damage or loss caused in whole or in part by the unauthorized attachments, modifications or alterations to the structure, body, pin box, or frame of the RV including but not limited to trailer hitches for towing, or platforms for supporting cargo;

You may want to contact LCI at customerservice@lci1.com or phone 574-537-8900, as they are the manufacturers of the pinbox and frame.

If you have further questions or concerns please contact owner relations at (866) 425-4369 Monday-Friday 9am-4pm EST or e-mail ownerrelations@keystonerv.com.

Sincerely,

Bettina Rogers

Owner Relations
Keystone, Dutchmen &
Crossroads
Phone: (866) 425-4369
Fax: (866) 273-1451


And from LCI:

Thank you Kenneth. This is not something we would advise as the pinbox and upper deck are not designed to have alot of extra weight hanging from them for a long period of time. Nothing may happen, but then again, if you have any issues, they may not be covered by warranty due to this plan.
Thank you,


Brian O’Rourke
Technical Service Representative
w: 574-537-8900 | f: 574-534-7161

[ps146364]

Have you checked into the Anderson hitch? Doesn’t hurt to look.

[powerhaulic]

50# PullRite superlight here, and a Lippert air ride pin box.
Best mod I have ever done

[Last2Die]

I have the Anderson. As a disabled Vet I can't be lifting 100 plus pound hitch out of the truck so CW installed the Anderson ultimate hitch, the black one not the silver one. LOVE it easy to hook up and the hitch weighs 38 lbs !

[Arkware]

2X with speedster. let the rig do the heavy lifting....

[PNW Fireguy]

+2 on the Andersen Ultimate Hitch. My only regret is that I didn’t buy it the first time around.

[jetskier]

Originally Posted by Wyoming Grit

We are full timers in a Montana 3791RD, which we love. We pull it with a F450. I am happy with the Mor Ryde pin box but it is a hassle taking the B&W Companion out and putting it back in. Has anyone installed a Reese Goose Box pin box in place of a Mor Ryde pin box?

I had the 16k version in my old trailer for about 4 years. It was nice for the bed space, but a pain to hook up the trailer. You have to be right over the ball. It'd be nice if they had a capture plate that gave you an inch all around. Another thing I didn't like is the airbag would push the coupler down a little bit when you took the weight off the hitch. In some situations, I didn't have enough lift in my front jacks to get it uncoupled and have enough retraction to level the trailer. The hydraulic landing gear may solve that problem with the extended range of motion.



I bought the B&W for my 3790RD. Other than the weight, it's not terribly difficult to remove. It took me about two minutes last time I did it a couple days ago.



With that said, I would not buy the Goosebox again.

[BeckCass]

We contacted Keystone earlier this year as our Montana High Country 321MK is our first fifth wheel. Keystone said the Reese Goose Box was the only gooseneck option that would not void the warranty. Printed the E-mail and filed it, then installed the Goose Box on our trailer. Connecting has not been trouble free, but we are going to paint a colored stripe on the connection point of the Goose Box so it can be clearly seen when looking at it through the camera on our F-350. The black Goose Neck against the black truck liner is not a good contrast.

[The Old Fogies]

I would check with Pulrite. They have a hitch that might be what you're looking for.

[The Old Fogies]

Originally Posted by The Old Fogies

I would check with Pulrite. They have a hitch that might be what you're looking for.

This is the link to the hitch I was talking about. The guy at the Rally said that since the ball fits over your pin there would be no extra stress and you don't have to replace your pin box.


http://pullrite.com/products/superlite-series